


You're Still an Idiot

by Avrilsky



Series: Idiot [2]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Nicole has a hard time dealing with being left in a ditch to die, Oblivious Wynonna, Wynonna has issues with Ward making a deal with Bobo and no one can tell me otherwise, and no one can tell me otherwise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 03:57:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12449193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avrilsky/pseuds/Avrilsky
Summary: Nicole gives Wynonna a ride home and spends some time with the Earp sisters.





	You're Still an Idiot

Nicole stared down at the report in front of her, not really seeing it, pen gripped tightly in her hand. She was supposed to be rewriting her report on her and Wynonna’s kidnapping, one that sounded less crazy, one that didn’t document the supernatural things she witnessed, she felt.

Lie. Nedley wanted her to lie and it was hard to do when every time she closed her eyes she saw eyes that burned like fire, sharp nails that glowed like a sword pulled from a furnace and burned just as hot when they sliced through her palm, leaving behind the faint hint of a scar she stared at every morning.

She blinked rapidly until the report came into view and wet her lips, tasting a hint of Waverly’s vanilla lip balm from their makeout session in Nedley’s office a couple of hours ago.

Nicole couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips at the mere thought of Waverly Earp and her little speech on Nedley’s couch, the way she practically jumped her, the way she kissed like she couldn’t get enough, like Nicole was the air she needed to survive.

She had imagined kissing Waverly since the first moment she laid eyes on Purgatory’s sweetheart but nothing she ever imagined came close to what kissing Waverly actually felt like. Nights spent dreaming of what holding Waverly in her arms would feel like didn’t hold a flame to the real thing. 

“Haught!”

Nicole startled, slamming her knee into the underside of her desk and dropping her pen, watching helplessly as it rolled off the edge of her desk and hit the floor.

“Sir,” Nicole said through clenched teeth, standing as quickly as her stiff ribs would allow and facing Sheriff Nedley.

She could still see the way he looked at her this morning, after reading over her first report. She still hear his words.

_ ‘If you think it's anything more than that, then you might as well put in your resignation.’ _

She wasn’t lying when she said she liked it here. She liked the people, liked that everyone knew everyone in town, it made the job feel more personal. She liked  _ Waverly Earp _ . And that last thing she wanted to do was resign and have to leave Purgatory, leave Waverly when she just got her.

“You’re friends with the Earps, right?” He asked, leaning his hip against the counter that separated her desk and the other officer’s desk from the public.

Nicole swallowed hard, trying to keep her features neutral and trying not to shift uncomfortably under his gaze. Did he somehow found out what she and Waverly had been up to in his office, on his lumpy uncomfortable couch?

“I would like to think so, Sir.”

“Good. Wynonna is in BBD’s office, she had too much to drink, take her home, will ya?”

“Of course, Sir,” Nicole said, leaning down and scooping up her pen from the floor, capping it and placing it back in the coffee cup she kept her pens in.

She put away the report she had been trying and failing to finish and grabbed her department issue equipment belt, hooking it around her waist and securing her Glock in its holster. She picked up her stetson and placed it on top of her head before slipping on her thick department issue jacket.

“Oh and Haught?” Nedley called on the way to his office, stopping Nicole in her tracks. “Don't worry about that report, you can finish it tomorrow.”

He rubbed at the back of his neck and met her gaze. “I know things haven't been easy here for you, but I need you here for the long run, so I need you too keep your head on straight. I _ need _ you to be the officer I know you can be.”

It was a strange feeling, someone having so much blind faith in her and her abilities, her potential. Sure, her parents believed in her throughout her childhood and her teenage years but that all changed when she came out to them before leaving for college.

Nicole blinked rapidly to keep the tears forming in her eyes from rolling down her cheeks. She looked up to Nedley and it meant  _ everything _ that he believed in her.

“I won’t let you down, Sir,” Nicole promised, tipping the brim of her stetson at him, grabbing her keys and moving down the hallway towards the offices Deputy Marshal Dolls and the Earp sisters commandeered.

The door was open and she could see Wynonna leaned back in a chair, feet propped up on the table in front of her and nearly empty bottle of what looked like  _ Maker’s Mark _ dangling from her fingers.

Nicole didn’t enter the room, well aware that Dolls could be lurking around waiting to try her for treason for stepping foot in the room. Instead, she knocked on the door frame with her first two knuckles, startling Wynonna.

“Sorry,” Nicole said, giving Wynonna a small smile. “You okay?”

Wynonna nodded and made that same unconvincing face she made the night before they were kidnapped.

Nicole hadn’t believed her then and she didn’t believe her now but she was smart enough not to push the eldest Earp.

They had become somewhat friends over the course of the past few days and Nicole didn’t want to ruin that.

“Come on, I’ll give you a ride home.”

Wynonna’s feet sliding off the table and dropping to the floor echoed in the quiet room as did Wynonna setting the bottle on the table with a bit more force than necessary. Nicole wasn’t sure if it was because she was drunk or upset, either way worry blossomed in her chest.

“You sure you’re okay?” Nicole asked, unable to stop herself. As much as she didn’t want to push Wynonna, she wanted to help. It was in her nature.

More than that, she felt protective of both Earp women and she couldn’t stand by silently while either of them were hurting, she wouldn’t.

“You ever find out something about someone that completely shatters the image you had of them?” Wynonna asked, grabbing the bottle once more and taking a long sip.

Her parents came to mind but she pushed thoughts of them away and focused on the woman a few feet away from her.

“Yes,” she said, leaning against the door frame and folding her arms across her chest.

“How do you deal with it?” Wynonna asked, looking over at her and even from her spot against the door, Nicole could see the pain in her blue eyes. “How do you deal with the two conflicting images in your head?”

“You believe in the person you need them to be,” Nicole told her softly.

“So I just believe that Daddy was a good man?” Wynonna stared at the bottle in her hand, picking at the label with her fingernail.

“If that’s what you need, yeah.”

Wynonna looked over at her again and even from her spot at by door, Nicole could see Wynonna’s blue eyes soften. “Thanks Haught.”

“Anytime Earp. Now come on, let’s get you home.”

“Waverly put you up to this?” Wynonna asked, getting up from the table and heading towards Nicole, leaving the bottle of  _ Maker’s Mark _ behind.

Nicole couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips at the mention of Waverly, though she pushed it down and lead Wynonna through the station with a hand at her back.

“Nedley.”

* * *

“How’d you end up in Purgatory?” Wynonna asked, forehead pressed against the window as they drove down the long, empty stretch of road leading to the Earp homestead.

Wynonna had been quiet for the first twenty minutes or so of the drive, staring out her window and bouncing her leg rapidly.

Nicole looked over at her for a few seconds before turning her eyes back to the snowy road. “Nedley recruited me straight out of the academy.”

“And you just up and left your family and friends to live in this hell hole where you know absolutely no one, for a job?”

Nicole tightened her grip around the steering wheel and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “My family and I haven’t been on speaking terms since I came out to them at eighteen and my friends and I still keep in touch.”

Nicole could feel Wynonna’s eyes boring into the side of her face but she kept her attention on the road. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her parents.

“No girlfriend?”

“No girlfriend,” Nicole repeated Wynonna’s words, loosening her grip on the steering wheel long enough to re-tighten it.

_ Wife. _

The word bounced around in Nicole’s head and she did her best to ignore it and the guilt that rose up her throat at the fact that Waverly didn’t know she was married.

It was a mistake made in a drunken haze in Vegas and while she and Shae were still technically married, it meant nothing to either of them.

They were still friends though. Shae was probably Nicole’s best friend, who listened to Nicole go on and on for hours about Waverly Earp and how much Nicole  _ liked  _ her, cared for her.

It was Shae that suggested they stayed married for now, so that she could be Nicole’s next of kin instead of her homophobic parents, so that if God forbid anything happened to Nicole on the job where she wasn’t able to make medical decisions for herself, someone had her back, someone who  _ cared _ would be the one making decisions for her.

“They didn’t deserve you,” Wynonna said after a few seconds, staring back out the window at the darkness passing them by. “Your parents, they didn’t deserve you.”

“You’re drunk,” Nicole said, brushing off Wynonna’s words and how serious she sounded for once.

“I’m always drunk,” Nicole caught Wynonna shrugging from the corner of her eye. “But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. You’re a good person, a good cop, ya know for a local flatfoot.”

Nicole huffed a laugh and rolled her eyes. “Thanks Earp.”

* * *

When they pulled up to the homestead, Waverly was waiting on the porch, a blanket wrapped tightly around her and from the headlights of her cruiser, Nicole could see the worry etched on her face.

Nicole could understand her worry, after everything that has happened to Wynonna in the past few days. Nicole was sure the last thing Waverly wanted to see was a police cruiser pull up, potentially bringing with it bad news.

“Wanna come in?” Wynonna asked, popping the door open but not making any move to actually get out.

Cold air rushed into the cruiser, chasing away the warmth from the heater Nicole had on full blast.

The cold nipped at Nicole’s bare fingers, her ears, her cheeks and suddenly she’s assaulted with the smell of dirt, and snow mix with spoiled fruit and gasoline. She could suddenly taste blood, metallic and bitter.

She felt cold, so, so  _ cold _ . The type of bone deep cold she felt in that damn ditch.

There’s a phantom pain in her scarred palm and her chest tightened as she tried to draw in a ragged breath. Her fingers dug into the steering wheel, sinking into the soft leather as she tried to remind herself she wasn’t in that ditch anymore, that those haunting red eyes weren't staring down at her.

_ “Haught.” _

Wynonna’s voice pulled her back to the present, pulled her back from that ditch and the cold.

Nicole blinked rapidly, eyes finding Waverly again, standing across the yard backlit by the porch light like Nicole’s own beacon of hope. Nicole uncurled her fingers from the steering wheel, as the pain in her palm and the tightness in her chest melted away.

Waverly Earp had that effect on her, even from afar. Just the sight of Waverly could calm her, could make everything feel okay even if just for a moment.

“You coming in or?”

Nicole chewed her bottom lip, eyes still locked on Waverly. She wanted to come in, wanted to see Waverly without a windshield between them, she wanted to hear Waverly’s voice, to be wrapped in it’s soothing tone.

She wanted to fall asleep with her head on Waverly’s lap and Waverly’s fingers running through her hair like she did the night she check herself out of the hospital and drove out to the homestead to check on both of the Earps. The night Waverly called her a idiot in anger but with so much affection that it made Nicole's chest ache.

But she didn’t want to push things, push Waverly.

They hadn’t spoken since Waverly left the station after they kissed with a promise to call her tonight and she didn’t want Waverly to think she was crowding her, didn’t want Waverly to think she was pressuring her for more.

She would wait forever for Waverly if that's what Waverly wanted. She would stand still for however long Waverly wanted, Waverly needed.

“I’ll just say hi then I should probably get home to the cat.”

“Well, come on then,” Wynonna said, pushing out of the cruiser. “I’m freezing.”

Nicole followed Wynonna up the snowy walkway, eyes on her shoes and hands shoved in the pockets of her department issued jacket.

“You’re late,” Waverly said when they finally stepped up on the porch, slapping Wynonna’s arm. “I was worried.”

Waverly glared at her sister before turning her attention to Nicole. Hazel eyes softening as she gives Nicole her signature smile and wave, only this time her smile is genuine. “Hi.”

Nicole can feel the stupid, goofy grin taking over her face but she’s helpless to stop it. “Hi back.”

Wynonna looked between the two, brows drawn together, like she’s trying to figure something out. After a few tense seconds of looking between both her and Waverly, Wynonna shrugged and Nicole released the breath she had been holding.

It’s not like she didn’t want people to know about her and Waverly. It was just, she didn’t even know how to explain it if someone asked, because she wasn’t exactly sure what was going on between them.

She didn’t know what Waverly wanted from her but she knew what she wanted.

She knew that she wanted to kiss Waverly again and again. She knew she wanted to date Waverly, take her out for nice dinners and surprise her with flowers. She knew she wanted Waverly and everything crazy, weird thing that came with her.

“Are you coming in?” Wynonna asked, already moving to the door.

“Oh, uh, I should probably head out.” Nicole rubbed at the back of her neck. She wanted to stay but she wouldn’t unless Waverly asked her to.

“You know, you can stay if you want to,” Waverly said quietly, giving her a hopeful smile. “There’s plenty of take out for three. Though it's cold because  _ somebody _ didn’t come home when they said they would.”

Waverly shot Wynonna a glare over her shoulder and Nicole jumped in without much thought.

“That was my fault, I made her stay until my shift was over so I could drive her home. She had a bit too much to drink and I didn’t want her trying to drive herself home or have you come all the way into town to get her.”

Nicole didn’t like lying or giving Waverly half truths but Wynonna was clearly struggling with whatever she found out about their father and it seemed to Nicole that she hadn’t told Waverly yet. And she just wanted to help, wanted to keep the peace between them.

Maybe it wasn’t her place to step in but she knew they were all the other one had and she wanted to make sure they didn’t lose each other, that nothing came between them.

“Thank you for bringing her home,” Waverly smiled reaching out and touching Nicole’s forearm.

“Yeah, you two do that,” Wynonna waved her hand at them and opened the front door. “I’m gonna go eat.”

Nicole watched her go with a small smile before turning her attention back to Waverly, who was staring at her with soft hazel eyes that held more green than usual.

“You don’t have to lie for her.”

“I’m sorry,” Nicole shrugged and sighed. “She’s just been through a lot lately and I didn’t want you to be upset with her.”

Waverly reached out, her cold fingertips brushing along Nicole’s cheek. “So have you.”

The words are said softly, with worry and affection laced in every single one.

Nicole shrugged, leaning into Waverly’s touch and closing her eyes. “Yeah, well she’s been through worse than me.”

Waverly’s fingers move from her cheek around to the nape of her neck, gripping firmly and bringing their foreheads together. “You’re still an idiot.”

Waverly calling her an idiot still felt so  _ good _ , still brought a goofy, toothy grin to he face and still filled her with this lightheartedness that she couldn’t really explain.

Nicole grinned, opening her eyes slowly and meeting Waverly’s gaze, brushing their noses together tenderly.

“You were kidnapped  _ too _ , Nicole. You  _ died _ and you, like Wynonna deserve a break, deserve to be able to relax,” Waverly said, her free hand reaching for Nicole’s intertwining their fingers. “So come and get something to eat, stay for awhile, please.”

Nicole could never deny Waverly anything and well, she wasn’t about to start now. Not when she wanted to do nothing more than spend the rest of the night in Waverly’s company.

Waverly’s eyes drifted down to her lips then back up, taking her own bottom lip between her teeth. “Can I kiss you?”

Nicole’s heart fluttered in her chest before it started pounding against her ribcage, threatening to beat right out her chest at Waverly’s question.

There’s something about Waverly asking to kiss her that set Nicole’s skin on fire, that left her weak with need to feel Waverly’s lips on her own.

Nicole chanced a look at the door Wynonna had disappeared through moments ago.

Waverly’s hands were at her cheeks again, bringing their foreheads together again, bringing Nicole’s attention back to her. “Nothing is going to pull Wynonna away from that wonton soup.”

“Sure?”

“Yeah,” Waverly confirmed, brushing her lips lightly against Nicole’s. So lightly that Nicole had been sure she imagined it. “Can I kiss you?”

This time Nicole nodded, letting her eyes slid closed when Waverly’s nose bumped hers before their lips connected.

Unlike their first few kisses shared in Nedley’s office, this one was slow, tender but did not lose any of the passion.

The kiss only lasted a few seconds before Nicole’s stomach growling had Waverly pulling away with a soft laugh and a quick kiss to the tip of Nicole’s nose.

“Come on.” Waverly held her hand out for Nicole, which Nicole took with no hesitation. “Let’s get you something to eat.”

* * *

After eating reheated take out, Nicole and the Earps settled on the worn couch in the living room to watch  _ ‘Friends’ _ reruns.

Waverly grabbed the old quilt off the back of the couch and draped it over her and Nicole before her hand slid underneath, searching for Nicole’s.

Nicole felt like a teenager again, sitting on the couch in her parents’ basement, holding the hand of her first girlfriend, heart pounding so loud she was sure everyone could hear it, terrified of her very religious parents finding them like that.

When their fingers intertwined and Waverly brought their joined hands to her lap, Nicole looked passed Waverly to Wynonna, trying to gauge whether she knew what was happening.

Wynonna seemed oblivious to anything going on with her and Waverly. Wynonna’s attention split between the tv and the bottle of whiskey she was cradling.

Waverly shifted in her seat just enough to be able to lean her head on Nicole’s shoulder and Nicole wasn’t so terrified anymore.

No matter what life threw at them, no matter if they got Wynonna’s acceptance or not, Nicole would stick by Waverly’s side for as long as she’d have her.

And God, she hoped Waverly would have, would want her forever.


End file.
